Johann van Graan, the Bath head of rugby. Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images
South African rugby will be spoilt for choice when Rassie Erasmus decides to leave his post as Springbok head coach, writes Simon Borchardt.
Erasmus’ current assistants – Deon Davids and Mzwandile Stick – will be in a prime position to apply, especially if they do so after the Boks have won a third consecutive World Cup.
Jacques Nienaber may also fancy another stint in the hot seat, while URC franchise coaches like John Dobson and Ivan van Rooyen could throw their names into the hat too.
Former Lions and South Africa A coach Johan Ackermann recently returned home after three seasons with English club Gloucester and four years in Japan. He’s been appointed as a coaching consultant for the Junior Springboks, but no doubt Erasmus and general manager Dave Wessels have bigger plans for him.
Ackermann’s backline coach when the Lions were perennial Super Rugby finalists, Swys de Bruin, made an immediate impact with the Springbok Women, who will go into this year’s World Cup believing – and not just praying – that they can compete. You wouldn’t bet against him getting involved in the men’s team again at some point.
Franco Smith’s stock has soared since his Glasgow Warriors team won the URC last season and the former Cheetahs coach has been tipped to replace Gregor Townsend as Scotland boss when his contact ends in April 2026. Could the Springboks snap him up first?
And then there’s Johann van Graan, the Bok forwards coach under Heyneke Meyer and Allister Coetzee from 2012 to 2017, Munster head coach from 2017 to 2022, and now Bath boss.
When Van Graan took over the famous English club in June 2022, he inherited a side that had finished last in the 13-team Premiership with 18 defeats from 24 matches, including a humiliating 71-17 home loss to Saracens.
Bath finished eighth on the 11-team Premiership log in 2022-23 as their new coach settled in, before shooting up to second in 2023-24 and losing by just four points to Northampton in the Twickenham final despite playing with 14 men for 59 minutes.
After 10 rounds this season, Bath were top of the Premiership log with eight wins, including a 68-10 thrashing of Saracens at the Rec (revenge was sweet), and on track to become champions of England for the first time since the 1995-96 season.
Van Graan deserves all the praise that’s been heaped on him.
He recruited wisely, signing Scotland flyhalf Finn Russell and Springbok prop Thomas du Toit, while throwing rugby lifelines to English talent Ollie Lawrence and Ted Hill after Worcester and Wasps had gone bust.
In typical South African fashion, Van Graan focused on building a strong set piece and shoring up the defence. He brought in attack guru and former Wasps head coach Lee Blackett to ensure they played smarter rugby with ball in hand, in the right areas of the field, while improving their kicking game.
Similarities to the Springboks’ recipe for success don’t end there, with Van Graan deploying a 7-1 Bomb Squad (of replacements) for their match against Northampton in January.
That won’t have escaped the attention of Erasmus who, with South Africa’s ever-increasing pool of quality coaches, can rest assured that the Springboks’ success won’t end with him.
This story first appeared on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission. For the original story click here.
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